The Night We Met
by Ladyamesindy
Summary: AU background for Colonist Commander Shepard. WHAT IF Kaidan had not killed Vyrnnus at Jump Zero and had gone straight into the Alliance Military instead? WHAT IF he'd been one of the marines stationed on Mindoir at the time of the slaver attack on the colony? WHAT IF he'd been the one to help Shepard escape?


_2170 CE_

The sounds of the outdoors were almost as familiar to her ears as breathing or her own heartbeat. Never was this more true than at night, the darkness surrounding her, enveloping her, leading her to unity with her surroundings. She was a child of the land, trained to be aware of her surroundings and to follow in her father's footsteps. To be one one with the land, the creatures, the sky. To defend her home, protect the crops, animals, and the homesteaders from whatever intruders might threaten, be they man or beast.

But everything changed in a flash. Literally. The roaring echoes of explosions, the waves of blistering heat from fire, the piercing shrill from voices of all ages in panicked screams … It was all of this and more. One moment the community was gathered together in an end of season celebration, a boy from school having asked her to dance, and the next she was running for her life. Logic and the shouts of the few who had urged her to flee while she could had kept her from looking back; the sounds of a living hell behind her had reinforced it.

Scrambling through the woods, stumbling across the fields, she made her way home and changed … physically replacing more formal clothing now torn and stained with something that would allow her freedom to move while masking her presence in her surroundings; psychologically shoving the death and destruction of those she knew and loved best into that part of her mind where it could remain hidden away until a better time and place for processing and comprehension. Moments later, she was reaching for her father's rifle and extra ammunition, his lessons from over the years echoing inside her head with memories of instructions on how to work with the land to make the crops grow and how to keep them safe from anyone or thing that threatened them. The events of this evening, however, made the fight for survival a much more personal one.

A glance out the window as she prepared to exit the only home she had ever known alerted her to the danger ahead, but at least she had a bit more warning this time. Beyond the paned window, that last furtive glance outside, she spotted the small squad of slavers approaching the family homestead. Armed for bear, she hurried out the back of her home, slipping into the wooded area behind before they could find her. As quickly and quietly as possible, she made her way through the trees and shrubs, searching for a place she could remain out of sight. Once she found it, she hid. For hours it seemed, well after the evening had turned to night and the enemy had left, she remained. She lost track of time as she remained under cover, but after what she deemed to have been long enough without seeing any of them pass nearby, she ventured forth. Slowly. Carefully. But it was all for naught. She knew well before she exited the wooded area that there was nothing left. The acrid stench, the glowing brightness in that general direction … the homestead was gone, burned down to the ground. More memories to be shoved away for another time and place.

She had a choice to make now. She could make her way back to the town, see if she could find anyone alive, any of the young ones she'd seen being taken away as the attack began. Or, she could try to make it to the next closest town and seek out assistance from the Systems Alliance outpost there.

Really, what other choice was there to make?

Turning to the east, she began walking, leaving her past behind her in the smoldering ruins of her home. The past was gone for her now, dead along with her family and friends. All she would ever have was now in front of her.

* * *

The first patrols dispatched to investigate reports of unauthorized craft landing just outside a nearby town just after one lone patrol radioed back about their arrival. In the Attican Traverse, this usually meant slavers or smugglers, small-time bands of 'enterprising' individuals. But that first call back to base had indicated something much more than just 'the usual' this time. In the background, behind veteran voices in which could be heard the first tremblings of terror were also the first hints of frantic and tortured screams for help, the echoing reports of gunfire as it was exchanged and periodic explosions from rockets or grenades.

He was in the communications room when the first call came in. All new recruits served time there and tonight was his turn on watch. As far as he was concerned, the assignment was fine. He didn't mind working the equipment, he had a knack for it and had on more than one occasion been able to manipulate recalcitrant electronics into submission. However, on this evening, once the request for additional squads came and was approved from above, he was pulled for active duty. It didn't matter he'd only been posted here a few weeks before, it was time for all the training to be put to use.

Once out in the field and nearing the site of the attack, they broke down to smaller units. Pairs mostly, and he and his partner were ordered to swing around and come in from the east backing up other teams in the area. That was why they were coming in along the edge of a nearly dry riverbed, scrambling over rocks, sand, dead branches and other detritus that in any other year might have floated away with the river, but this year had found itself beached due to drought-like conditions. The reasons behind that mattered little at this point, however. Just passing thoughts as he kept pace with Michaels.

The briefing they had received before leaving base had been simple enough: unknown number of enemies attacking the town and surrounding farmsteads. Unknown number of dead. Assume survivors have been taken. Go in, reclaim the town, get any surviving colonists back. Straightforward. Simple.

A plan that was tossed the moment the first troops encountered the enemy and soon found themselves fighting for their own lives. It was also why infiltration teams were being sent in from all directions, testing the boundaries, looking for holes in defenses, searching for some way, _any_ way to reclaim the town and rescue any inhabitants who remained. The slavers appeared to be _every_where. Their hold was solid. And with each ensuing report coming in, one thing became very clear: the number of Alliance troops surviving was dwindling quickly. Reinforcements were being sent in, but the base on Mindoir was small compared to other locations. There were only so many soldiers available. Reinforcements from off-world would not arrive in time. Within just a few short hours of the first attempts to retake the town, the word was already out requesting ships for an evac. It looked as if they were going to lose their foothold on the colony.

* * *

The sound of footsteps crunching among the leaves and fallen tree limbs alerted her that she was no longer alone. She knew it would not be wildlife or even escaped cattle or other livestock. No animal would remain in the area given what was happening around them, and that was if they had not yet been destroyed by the slavers. Still lit by the fire of anger and outrage, she spun around sharply, weapon raised, when the sounds were right behind her.

"Halt! Lower your weapon!"

Her eyes darted from one face to another. The lighting was improving with each moment, the shadows of the night fading so that she could tell they were human. Alliance marines if the markings on their armor meant anything. But a self-preservation instinct borne of necessity gave her a backbone of steel and she refused to lower her gun. She would not be caught off guard again. "Who are you?" she demanded harshly.

"Lower your weapon first."

Her eyes shifted between them again. The first one was playing by the book it seemed. She would have to act first. The second …. Blue eyes met brown and held for a long moment. "We're here to help," he told her, a hand rising, stretching towards her just a bit in an offer of peace and reassurance. "Were you -?"

She nodded once, sharply. She felt the threat of tears behind tired eyes, but took a deep breath and caught it before it began. Now was not the time to mourn. That would come later. "They attacked during our harvest celebration," she explained, her voice becoming monotonic. "We had no watch. There was no warning. One minute we were enjoying ourselves, the next there were screams, explosions, destruction and … death." She felt a shudder pass along her shoulders.

She was about to add more when she caught hint of another sound behind her. Eyes still upon the man in front of her, she tried to convey the interruption by tilting her head just slightly towards the source. He nodded almost imperceptibly in return. Before any further communication between them could be made, however, there was an explosion to her right, the force of which sent her flying off of her feet and towards her left.

* * *

Instinct had him shielding his face while throwing himself away from the blast. Sadly, Michaels wasn't able to react as swiftly to do the same. When he glanced over where his partner had been, all he saw were charred remains. Moving quickly, he hurried to the side of the girl whom they had encountered. "Are you badly injured?" he asked in hushed tones, his eyes scanning around the area. Surprisingly, after that one grenade, no one had moved forward, though he thought he could still hear movement from that direction. "Can you move?"

Her response was a soft groan of pain at first. He slid an arm around her shoulders and assisted her to her knees. "We need to move," he told her, voice still low near her ear so they would not be overheard. "They'll find us."

She nodded, one leg shifting to her foot beneath her. "Right," she rasped back. He kept his arm around her as they stood, offering balance, support. When he stepped away, he noticed the blood at her shoulder … but they didn't have time for further inspection. "Ready," she told him a moment later as she reached for her weapon that had fallen nearby, and the glance he had of her eyes told him she knew. He saw pain there at a level he could not quite comprehend, but he also noted an understanding. They were now in survival mode. First things first.

He looked around them, scanning the direction from which he and Michaels had come. But it was she who touched his arm and pointed off in the opposite direction, leading the way. Surprised, he nodded. He started to take a step forward, but she moved in front of him. "I know the way," she murmured and then started off leaving the decision to stay or follow to him.

* * *

Having tracked the slavers through the night, she had been expecting the attack, just not at that particular moment. Yet another lesson learned the hard way. Now, as she led the way through the wooded area, she made another mental note for the future: never let your guard down for any reason.

They continued further down the dry riverbed, a route with which she was very familiar from growing up here. The river was a feeder into a lake, though with the drought this past year the lake had shrunk by about a third in size. The one benefit to going this way, however, was that it took them away from town, closer towards the marine base and, hopefully, out of contact of the slavers who remained.

Dawn was near when she slowed her pace, approaching the more open area surrounding the lake with caution. At one point, she tripped, stumbling over a rock as her booted foot turned slightly beneath her. It wasn't enough to cause permanent or major damage, but it did force her to lose balance and she threw arms out to catch herself as she fell. The resounding jolt of her hands to the ground vibrated up her arms and reminded her of the wound to her upper shoulder that needed attention. But that could wait.

Behind her by several paces, he was at a loss to assist when she tumbled down. He moved up beside her quickly, though, kneeling beside her again. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded. "In a moment," she told him.

The light was beginning to break over the horizon and with the first rays he was able to get a better look at her. She had evidence of the attack upon her face - smudges of ash and blood on her cheeks, her forehead, a scratch along her chin, another above her left eye that would probably leave a mark. The left sleeve of her shoulder, however, was what concerned him most. Assisting her to a seated position, he reached out and tore the sleeve from the upper seam until it came off, baring her entire arm to him. "That doesn't look good," he murmured as he examined it quickly. He thought he could see a bit of shrapnel lodged in the skin, but just how deep it was, he was unsure. Instead, he reached for one of the medi-gel packs he always carried and used it quickly before she could protest. "There. Maybe that will help enough until we can get you to a doctor."

He could see the exhaustion, both mental and physical, weighing upon her as she glanced up at him. Raven hair was hanging down her back below her shoulders in a tangled semi-braided mass. "Thanks," she managed.

Rising, he extended his hand down towards her right hand. "We should keep moving." She nodded as she accepted his assistance. Once she was standing in front of him, he offered her a semblance of a smile. "What's your name?" he asked as she began leading the way once more.

She glanced back at him momentarily, the faint stain of embarrassment on her cheeks. "Shepard," she told him. "Serafina Shepard. You?" Her eyes quickly returned to the path before them. They were nearing the base.

He opened his mouth to reply, but a burst of crackling static and then a flurry of orders voiced over his communicator kept him silent for a moment longer. He reached one hand out to keep her from moving forward without him while the other cupped over the earpiece so he could make out what was being said. After a quick though hushed affirmative reply, he glanced over at her. "They want us to head to the airfield north of town," he explained while pointing in the general direction. "We're going to evacuate."

Shepard paused, the truth finally and firmly settling around her. "It's lost?" A half thought in the back of her mind began forming, but she refused to worry about it yet.

He nodded. "That's what they're saying. Let's go."

Shepard took a few steps forward. She knew vaguely where the airfield was, but she figured if she could get them closer in to the base itself he would be able to take the lead from there. But after that … what? Would the Alliance take her with them? Or would they leave her behind to fend for herself?

The trip around the edge of the lake went quickly, still no enemies in sight. But it was as they veered away from the lakebed and in towards the outer edge of the base that he remembered he hadn't responded to her earlier request. When she paused, gesturing him beside her, he moved quickly. "This is your base," she pointed out softly. "I've no clue what the security protocols are here and -"

He nodded. Looking around for a moment to get his bearings, he paused as he made his decision. Everything around them seemed so … quiet. Too quiet. He glanced down at her again as he considered. Finally making his choice, he turned and led her off around the outer edges of the base, avoiding the complex entirely. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't decide exactly what it was. Better to be safe than sorry, right? Besides, the airfield was less than a mile away now. "We'll go around," he told her.

She nodded slowly, the aches and pains beginning to take their toll upon her now. She didn't care the reasons, he was an Alliance soldier - he was in charge and that was enough for the moment.

They continued on in silence, traversing the distance to the airfield as quickly as they could. When they arrived, he led the way around to the gates, gave his security clearance and led her inside. From there it was a matter of minutes before finding the rest of the evacuating group. A shout brought both him and his companion up short. "Lieutenant Alenko!"

Turning, he face his commander. "Sir!" He somehow managed to remember to salute the man. At the questioning look, he explained Shepard's presence. "She's the only survivor I could find, Commander."

Shouts from various directions around them began drowning out all else. Attention pulled elsewhere, he gestured them towards the shuttle that was about to leave. "Get her out of here, lieutenant."

He took his commander at his word and led Shepard towards the shuttle. They and one other soldier boarding at the same time were the last onboard the crowded craft before the ship began lifting, doors closing as it did so. Pulling her off to the side, he managed to find a space for her to sit.

"I can stand, Lieutenant …?"

He chuckled as for the second time that evening he realized he'd not answered her question. "Alenko," he told her. "Kaidan Alenko. Now sit." He eyed her shoulder again, unable to hide his concern. First thing they would do when they boarded would be to find the doctor.

The flight to the cruiser took less than an hour, thankfully. Upon arrival, Kaidan took charge once more and after requesting directions to the med bay, led Shepard in that direction. They arrived to find the room a flurry of activity, but the doctor approached them almost immediately upon seeing them enter. "Why don't you come sit over here and let me take care of this," the woman inquired gently while gesturing Shepard towards one of the examination tables.

Assured she was now in good hands, Kaidan offered Shepard a reassuring smile. "I need to go report to the commander," he explained. "I will see you around."

Before Shepard could even offer him her thanks, he had left the room.

* * *

_2183 CE_

"Commander, the shuttle with our new helmsman and staff lieutenant is arriving."

"Thanks, Pressley." Shepard glanced over at the captain who nodded. After a quick salute, she turned and exited the conference room. Taking a right, she started descending the stairway towards the elevator that would take her to the shuttle bay.

Ever since receiving the files on the two new crew members, the last two to fill out the crew of the new ship, Shepard had felt her curiosity piqued. _Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko_. It had to be him, right? There couldn't be more than one Kaidan Alenko in the Systems Alliance, could there?

At the time he left her aboard the _SSV Carentan_, Shepard had not realized that she wouldn't be seeing him again before leaving the ship. She'd never even had a chance to thank him properly for his help with evacuating her off of Mindoir. Over the following years, she had thought about him occasionally, twice she had even began attempts to track him down before being diverted by her own duties. But to have fate place them together once again? That had seemed to be almost too much to hope for.

Exiting the elevator, Shepard spotted their new helmsman first. Flight lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau. Returning his salute, she asked, "Are you as good as the rumors claim, Moreau?"

"Depends on which rumors you're listening to, ma'am," he replied.

Shepard eyed him closely. She had read his service record, but found herself more intrigued by the personality behind the pilot. "Welcome aboard, flight lieutenant."

He cracked a wide grin and began hobbling off towards the elevator. As he did so, Shepard turned to watch his progress as she thought she heard him murmuring excitedly, "Can't _wait _to get my hands on this baby!"

She was busy swallowing a chuckle and shaking her head in amusement when a familiar voice spoke behind her. "Commander?"

Turning, blue eyes met brown and held for a moment as shared memories returned. Shepard felt her smile pull slightly wider. So, it _was_ him. "Lieutenant Alenko." She returned his salute quickly. "Welcome aboard the _SSV Normandy_, Kaidan."

The warmth in her tone told him that she remembered him. Kaidan felt his lips curve to match her smile. He'd often wondered what had happened to her after leaving the med bay aboard the _SSV Carentan_. Unable to connect with her afterwards, for the first few years he'd tried to find out where she'd gone with no success. It was only after the events of Akuze that her name was brought to his attention again. "Thank you, Commander," he replied to her greeting, taking the hand she offered in his. "It's a pleasure to be aboard."


End file.
